[Rumours] BBC to drop F1?

[Paradise City]

BBC to drop F1

http://joesaward.wordpress.com/

The Sunday Times in England is claiming that the BBC has decided to drop its Formula 1 coverage after the 2013 season. The story quotes an unidentified source saying that the corporation will not bid to extend the current deal as it aims to trim its budgets.

Rupert is grinning now.

[Mr V]

Joe Saward

It should perhaps be noted that The Sunday Times is a newspaper owned by News Corporation, which is bidding to buy the global commercial rights of F1 from CVC Capital Partners. Clearly the loss of the BBC will impact on the price of such a deal.

Maybe Murdoch trying to force the Beeb's hand?

[Andy77]

Launched article by one of Murdochs own newspapers in order to build up pressure on the BBC as well as FOM in the war for overtaking CVC

edit: sorry didn't see your reply when I posted Mr V

[Paradise City]

I'd be surprised if the story was false.

[Lancsbreaker]

If the figures in the article are true - and I don't have any reason to doubt them - the fees for F1 coverage per viewer do make it a very expensive exercise.......but of course if the cost is about £1 per viewer, I wonder what any (Murdoch?) purchaser would try to charge......

[garcon]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

I'd be surprised if the story was false.

Prepare to be surprised.

The story is nothing more than typical, baseless Murdoch propoganda. Most of the "facts" in it are completely inaccurate. The figures in particular are hugely wide of the mark.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

I'd be surprised if the story was false.

These stories always claim an "un-named source", where is their proof that it's true?

[chunder]

Well to be honest, unless anyone here knows the figures, then stating otherwise is as much speculation as the Sunday Times!

But it figures that he would use that paper to do this. I am not sure why Murdoch wants F1, he will lose massive money if he offers it PPV as that experiment lost FOM a shed load of money back when they tried it last.

I guess if he tried to put it on SKY then he will get a surge of interest in the sports channels, but nothing like the viewers he would get for football. F1 is far far more expensive to cover than football, which is why you cant pay pundits a million a year like he can on football. They do a superb job with soccer, but it's comparatively easy to cover it.

He would have to perhaps use the FOM feed which is superb, but would not get nearly as many viewers on SKY as on the Beeb or ITV for that matter. You would get a surge then a gradual drop off as people lose interest. Plus, in this day and age, asking people for more money when gas, electric and fuel is going up by massive percentages is plain dumb.

[LandieLad]

Was there not an assurance by Bernie that F1 TV rights would only be granted if the races were televised live and on Free To View

Of course I may be mistaken

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by LandieLad

Was there not an assurance by Bernie that F1 TV rights would only be granted if the races were televised live and on Free To View

Of course I may be mistaken

Until 2013 I think it is.

Selby

[courageous]

Complete BS - "a source says" should always be treated with a pinch of salt; Murdoch press reporting is dubious even at best & in this case Murdoch has a vested interest in both sides of the BBC/F1 rights holder contract.

Trying to stir it up as per normal - just to P him off, I hope that if/when BBC discontinue with F1 the dirty digger picks it up for channel 5 (with the fan forum on hot asian babes - or maybe not)

[garcon]

Originally Posted by chunder

Well to be honest, unless anyone here knows the figures, then stating otherwise is as much speculation as the Sunday Times!

Someone on another forum wrote the quote below, based on a reasonable collection of views and figures from a source that has far less reason to fleece the numbers than Rupert...

I read about this on a broadcasting forum this morning. Apparently the article is littered with mistakes and inaccurate stats and figures. The free to air agreement ends in 2012, and Murdoch wants a slice of the action. This has been an on-going story and there seems to be a concerted effort by Murdoch`s press machine to highlight how expensive F1 is and why the publically funded BBC shouldn't be spending licence payers' money covering F1. When the true stats are broken down it appears F1 is actually better value than the Six Nations Rugby, and yet if the BBC had to choose between the two they'd probably drop F1 - the cheaper option.

By all accounts Bernie would like the BBC deal renewed ... but will he drop the asking price? Or be forced to if ITV and BBC make it clear they wont even be making a bid, leaving the door open for Sky to pick it up. Hopefully Bernie sees the light and realises that FTA broadcasters no longer have the funds to pay the current asking price. Putting F1 behind a paywall would be disastrous for viewing figures - which are on the up. Don't believe what you read in the Murdoch press - Monaco pulled in 6.1 million viewers, Canada over 8 million!

It was very interesting reading the views of those from within the broadcasting industry as well as those fans who have an interest in the finances of both F1 and broadcasting.

[touringlegend]

That quote about the Six Nations is exactly what I fear for F1.

F1 is generating great viewing figures for the BBC along with a good slice of the audience share, yet if it comes to it the Beeb would favour the sport perceived to be more popular.

Or even worse, I see they have just spent £20m for the rights to "The Voice" reality show and god knows how much ****e like that will end up costing by the time it's produced and they hire Cheryl Cole...

[Moneyseeker]

There is alot of posturing on both sides I think, equally in non-NI press, it has been reported that the BBC are also considering removing all daytime TV from BBC2 and running rolling BBC news, whilst removing most local content from BBC local radio and running 5 live instead....

As I understand it the TV licence fee has been frozen not cut, but somehow the BBC have translated this into a 20% cut, I believe based on the fact that they may have to find some services previosuly funded by government e.g. BBC World service and BBC World TV.

The fact remains that it's unlikely that any FTA will pay the high rates to FOM for TV coverage, most ad-funded commercial stations will be in the same boat and PPV will not work. How this plays out with CVC perhaps considering a sale and the appetite for high fees not what it was will be interesting to watch, regardless of whether NI bid's for F1.

[Louis Agilais]

Murdoch's publications are not known for their respect for the juornalism deontological code: it's not the first time (nor the second, nor the third) a Murdoch publication publishes a "story" from an unverifiable source that turns out to be BS. Usually to those stories on the sunday times, news of the world and daily mirror it's not difficult to pin-point an agenda in the interests of Murdoch's Empire.

[rocketcar]

Rediculous to axe f1 on the bbc, axe some of the rubish they show for the liberal left on bbc 4!

[Sodemo]

Its about time really the BBC had a reality check, so much waste goes on in that organisation, the cuts will be a good thing.

The time that F1 goes to Sky, is the time that I will stop watching. I only watch now because the coverage is good & free. I'd much rather watch touring cars or sportscars if it came down to it, so if the option to not watch F1 wasn't there, then it wouldn't really matter to me.

One thing regarding the BBC rights is that I believe the BBC sells on the coverage to other nations (like Australia, China etc) so then they pay the BBC a fee for the coverage. I was led to believe that the F1 actually cost the BBC very little as they got so much back for the rights off other countries.

[Pingguest]

I hope the BBC continues to broadcast Formula 1. Here in my country we don't receive ITV or Sky. In case the BBC would indeed drop Formula 1, I'll have to go back watching Formula 1 on the Dutch television. I'd consider that as a step back.

[Andy77]

Originally Posted by Pingguest

I hope the BBC continues to broadcast Formula 1. Here in my country we don't receive ITV or Sky. In case the BBC would indeed drop Formula 1, I'll have to go back watching Formula 1 on the Dutch television. I'd consider that as a step back.

ITV should be possible, even better than here anyway

[courageous]

Originally Posted by rocketcar

Rediculous to axe f1 on the bbc, axe some of the rubish they show for the liberal left on bbc 4!

The whole story is a political message against the "liberal left" which has that communist BBC at it's centre.

You want free market? let F1 go to the highest bidder (that'll be PPV sky with extra adverts then).


"like having things" / "don't like paying for things"

[Pingguest]

Originally Posted by Andy77

ITV should be possible, even better than here anyway

Ich weiß was Sie meinen.
However, I do like Niki Lauda's commentary. Luckily, my German is just good enough to understand the Austrian's comments.

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

Its about time really the BBC had a reality check, so much waste goes on in that organisation, the cuts will be a good thing.

The time that F1 goes to Sky, is the time that I will stop watching. I only watch now because the coverage is good & free. I'd much rather watch touring cars or sportscars if it came down to it, so if the option to not watch F1 wasn't there, then it wouldn't really matter to me.

One thing regarding the BBC rights is that I believe the BBC sells on the coverage to other nations (like Australia, China etc) so then they pay the BBC a fee for the coverage. I was led to believe that the F1 actually cost the BBC very little as they got so much back for the rights off other countries.

Nothing is free is it though, in England you pay a yearly license fee for BBC coverage.. I have no idea how much that is these days? $200.00 per year maybe..

I am used to paying for seeing F1 via the Speed Channel as part of an AT&T package...I want to watch F1 so I pay the fee...

[Andy77]

Originally Posted by Pingguest

Ich weiß was Sie meinen.
However, I do like Niki Lauda's commentary. Luckily, my German is just good enough to understand the Austrian's comments.

Du kannst mich ruhig duzen.
Yes, I quite like Niki Laudas comments as well. I sometimes switch over after race but generally RTL's commentary is really bad.

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by JeremySmith

Nothing is free is it though, in England you pay a yearly license fee for BBC coverage.. I have no idea how much that is these days? $200.00 per year maybe..

I am used to paying for seeing F1 via the Speed Channel as part of an AT&T package...I want to watch F1 so I pay the fee...

Its £140, but thats £140 if you choose to watch F1 or not watch it because they have dumped the rights. Either way, you have to still pay it if your in the UK, so whilst you are paying it anyway, you may as well get some programming you actually like.

I can't think of anyone who could do a better job than what the BBC currently does, any other broadcaster's effort would surely be a step backwards.

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by rocketcar

Rediculous to axe f1 on the bbc, axe some of the rubish they show for the liberal left on bbc 4!

I wouldn't say that what is on BBC4 is "rubbish for the liberal left" at all; indeed a lot of it is very good - close to hand example, Hammond Meets Moss, earlier today ...

EDIT : For that matter, almost all European countries have a television licence-based system of funding public service television. The UK is nowhere near unique.